Black America and the American Nightmare :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Black America and the American NightmareThe Myth of Sisyphus parallels the lack of an American Dream in black America. In The Myth Of Sisyphus, Albert Camus describes the tragedy of Sisyphus, forever punished by the gods to push a rock up a mountain, watch the rock roll down the mountain, and thence push it up the mountain again. In the words of Camus, there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor. The American Dream is understood alive for white Americans. They still dream of large houses, big paychecks, and hard work leading to a comfortable retirement. However, like an animal battling to fight extinction, the American Dream is on its last breath in black America . . . Uh, you know that stuff we told you about apple pie and equal opportunity, spacious skies and rags to riches and devising more money than your parents did? Well, uh, we forgot to tell you something. That was only supposed to apply to white people. Does the American Dream really exist in the black community or do blacks labor under the false impression that our lives will be better in the future? Am I wasting my time paid for a degree from college in a country where I have to put my skin color on every form I menage my name to? Sisyphus intrigues Camus because he questions Sisyphus thoughts about his fate. At that subtle moment when man glances backward over his life, Sisyphus returning toward his rock, in the sight pivoting he contemplates that series of orthogonal actions which becomes his fate, created by him, combined under his memorys eye and soon sealed by his death. As Sisyphus returns to his rock, does he question his fate? Unlike blacks in America, Sisyphus created his own fate. Sisyphus is awake that he will labor in futility until the end of time. He is not under any false impressions that the gods will call his punishment off because of close behavior. He knows his fate and has accepted it. Do blacks also labor in futility, hoping that someone will g o back and change history? Sisyphus accepts the rock as his future. This absurd form of acceptance is the only thing that keeps Sisyphus from going crazy. He is superior to his fate because he survives despite it. Do blacks in America also accept their fate?